H—ll

(viii) Industrial Advisory Council: This organization of employers' and workers' representatives is being set up by the Government under the Industrial Relations Act, 1949, with the objective of solving the problems of industrial relations, and promises to be a most potent instrument in safety promotion. One of the basic prerequisites of industrial harmony is, of course, the possession by each and every individual of a feeling of security and of physical and mental well-being. Accidents, and fear of accidents, inevitably tend to destroy this sense of security, and the Council will no doubt therefore consider the question of the promotion of safety and reduction of the industrial accident rate. (ix) Inspections and Requisitions : It will be seen elsewhere in the report that the number of factory inspections carried out in the past twelve months was an increase of 2,385 over the previous period and that the number of requisitions under all Acts for the removal of hazards and provision of amenities increased from 4,672 to 5,459. It is felt that the results of this drive to improve the physical working environment (hampered for some time by post-war shortages) will eventually be reflected in a reduction in the accident rate. (3) Present Accident Rates. —The industrial-accident rate in this country is far from satisfactory. Despite this fact little attention seems to be devoted to the problem by the average employer in industry, a state of affairs which can be largely attributed to lack of appreciation of the cost of accident interruptions and the extent to which they can be eliminated. This lack is in turn reflected in the attitude of workers who, often insufficiently trained, take unnecessary risks and fail to use the protective equipment provided. An indication of the local position in relation to overseas countries is given by a comparison of the trends in Great Britain and New Zealand in recent years. The annual report of the Chief Inspector of Factories, Great Britain, for 1948, demonstrates strikingly the steady downward trend in factory accidents in that country since 1944. According to the report the factory-accident rate between 1944 and 1948 decreased by 30 per cent. Even allowing for the fact that overtime worked in 1948 would be less than in 1944 (and therefore there should have been less accidents), the reduction is a very considerable one and represents a saving of over 80,000 accidents per annum. The New Zealand rates show no such downward trend and rather suffer by comparison. Following are the local figures :

It will be seen that the number of factory accidents per annum in this country is not decreasing but increasing. Not only is the total number increasing, which is to a degree understandable in a country with an expanding secondary industry, but what is more disturbing is that the actual rate of accidents is gradually increasing. (It should be noted that the above rates are not related to the amount of overtime worked. As this

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Year. Number of FactoryAccidents. Number of FactoryWorkers. Reportable Accidents per Thousand Factory Workers. Calendar Days Lost Through Factory Accidents. 1938 4,297 123,723 34-73 368,261 1939 . 4,951 129,488 38-23 398,216 1940 5,480 132,907 41-23 343,396 1941 6,555 134,039 48-90 442,247 1942 7,494 130,560 57-39 470,579 1943 .. 7,654 132,599 57-72 462,740 1944 6,580 138,600 47-47 549,307 1945 6,141 141,752 43-32 432,245 1946 6,385 152,956 41-74 467,695 1947 6,928 162,802 42-55 541,054 1948 7,609 164,684 46-20 423,302